khalid ali wrote:
The Somali script its self is not an creation it was intact in the early 1900s it went through transformation through out the years and in the sixties thats when the first real steps were made to write down the Somali language with the latin alphabet and that was started by Muusa galaal in the sixties the Formation of the Somali lating script was already in tact. It was not a new creation by the Military regime
Is this guy serious? Of course the Somali Latin script was not developed by the Military region. I never said that, maybe your English is that bad. I will try to be as simple as I possibly can so read
carefully.
In 1960, when Somalia became a country a committee was set up to choose a Somali script. This committee was for a long time headed by Muuse Galaal (Isaaq/Habar Jeclo). Many scripts were put before the committee such as Arabic, Osmaniya, Kaddare, Gedabiirsi, and the
Latin modified Somali script of Shire Jama Ahmed (Marehan/reer Dalal Diini).
The committee throughout the 1960's could not choose a script because of the ineffective and corrupt nature of the post-independence. The intellectuals wanted Shire Jama's Latin modified script, the Majerten wanted Osmaniya, the Abgaal wanted Kaddare, the Gedabiirsi wanted the Gedabiirsi, and the religious wanted Arabic. However, the
biggest competition was between Shire Jama's modified Latin script, which Muuse Galaal
supported and Arabic script with the religious people having a slogan "laatiin waa laadiin".
Muuse Galaal's committee failed to choose one until the military region made a new committee that chose Shire Jama's script. The latin script you use today was drafted by Shire Jama Axmed and he even started printing the first Somali written magazine using his script even before Latin was the official script of the country.
Here is the book by famed Somali scholar Professor Hussein Tanzania (Isaaq/Habar Yonis) on his book
The revolutionary development of the Somali language
Hussein Mohamed Adam
African Studies Center, University of California
More sources:
Xuruuftan la doortey waa tii uu Shire Jaamac lahaa, diidmadii ka timidna waa laga xoog batey. Hirgelinteediina, dowladda wax kharaj ah oo saa´idah oo uga baxay majirin, waayo makiinadihii iyo madbacadihii ey heesatey uun bey ku howlgashey.
http://www.mudugonline.com/MajertainSal ... dabaad.htm
1965-kii Shire Jaamac Axmad (Mareexaan) wuxuu qorey xuruuf laatiin ah, wuxuuna isticmaaley qawaaniintii uu dejiyey shiikh Maxamad Cabdi Miikaahiil. Shire wuxuu soo saarey buug yar oo uu ubixiyey "Iftiinka aqoonta" sanadkii 1967-kii, waxyaabaha ku qornaa waxaa kamid ahaa gabeyo uu isagu allifey. Sidaas buu Shire J. wuxuu kaga mid noqdey raggii u soo halgamey qorista af-soomaaliga. Shire wuxuu buugiisa ku qorey sidii raggii ka horreeyeyba maansooyin taariikhi ah, wuxuuse kaga duwanaa maanso walba wuxuu raaciyey sharra uu xuruufteeda adag ku micneynayo. Sidaa darteed baa buuggiisii waxaa qiimo gaara ah siiyey dadkii reer magaalka ahaa gaar ahaan dhallinyaradii.
http://www.somaliawatch.org/archivefeb01/010423201.htm
The specific version chosen was that devised by Shire Jama Ahmed, ... Indeed Shire had already used his Latin alphabet script back in the 1960s to print a series of books of poetry, ...
Language and national identity in Africa
Andrew Simpson
pg 288
http://books.google.com/books?id=CDAqAQ ... CEwQ6AEwBw
Also, Brian Street in his book Cross Cultural Approaches to Literacy in his topic on Somali literacy achievement credits the man who invented the Somali script, wrote the first magazine, and was the first President of Somali National Academy of Culture established in 1967:
The fact that you believe "Muuse Galaal" (the man who merely headed the failed committee that was to choose the script) "invented" the scripts that were to be decided on is exactly what I meant by "ego-boosting" historical revision.
